Today at Alhambra w/ new kayak 10/1

[GulfCoastdiver]

I got in the water about 0900 am, very nice, not much wind or surf. I did one dive with the kayak and one without, I found 3 or 4 teeth on the first dive and about 150 on the 2nd.

I think there is no way I can switch tanks while out on the kayak, I don't even tyhink I can carry a 2nd tank, I had a hard time with a cooler.
Do you all only do one tank dives when you go out? If you do 2 tank dive how do you do it?
One more thing, someone said the loonger boat is more stable, not even close, atleast for me that is, I almost dumped it at least 5 times, and getting in the scupper pro is a lot harder than getting in the scrambler I used.

 

[dkramer]

Longer does not always mean more stable. Ya gotta look at the width as well. I have a Cobra Fish/Dive which also has a deep keel on it & that also adds to stability. I have never (knock on wood) rolled my boat. On the water it is very stable but there is a price I have to pay for that. It is also very slow. Kinda feels like I'm paddling a semi truck. Out of the water it is heavy (52 lbs) & bulky. But.............it does what I want it to do & I'm happy with it. Remember, it was your first trip. As you continue to dive, you'll get used to your boats quirks & I'll bet rolls will occur less often. As far as carrying 2 tanks, my boat will carry up to 600 lbs & I know people who use the Cobra Fish/ Dive & have done a tank change while out on the water. I have never done it cuz I know, with my talent, I'll end up dropping something over the side. When I want to do a 2 tank dive I just paddle in, take a nice SI on the beach, grab the second tank & head back out.

 

[tripledive]

Yep, I have the cobra fish and dive also and like Dkramer mentions it is very stable. I have switched tanks out there before but only because the kayak is so stable and with ideal conditions like little to no surface chop. Basically, I always have my BC/tank setup attached to a clipped line and attached to the kayak. I get back on the kayak and pull the BC/tank onto the kayak and lay it flat in front of me with the tank facing up. Remove the reg, undo the BC tank straps, pull the used tank out, store behind my seat, grab the new one and just reverse the process. Again, this is a very stable kayak so I can maneuver around quite a bit which is an advantage. Still need to be real careful since it only takes one little wrong move to send something overboard. As mentioned before, get used to your boat and practice. I screwed up a number of times before I was comfortable enough to switch tanks.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Hey, congratulations on your first yak dive! Warning, it is addicting!

I could repeat everything that DKramer said. Longer is faster, not more stable. You need width for stability. I have a Prowler 13 and it too is a barge, but I feel safe in it. I would not attempt an at-sea tank change, I am way too much of a klutz.

Keep practicing, it gets easier, and you'll also tweak how you attach things to your boat.

Keep on paddlin'!

 

[divedude1962]

I'm looking at kayaks, they seem to expand the dive possibilities, but there are so many out there. Also, I am concerned about transporting them. Logistically, when you dive from a spot like Venice, do you load the kayak and use it as a gear carrier on the way to the water?
(Obviously so much to learn.)

 

[dkramer]

I'm looking at kayaks, they seem to expand the dive possibilities, but there are so many out there. Also, I am concerned about transporting them. Logistically, when you dive from a spot like Venice, do you load the kayak and use it as a gear carrier on the way to the water?
(Obviously so much to learn.)

A lot of folks do exactly that. We have beach wheels which, if you're talented, you can make or if your not talented, like me, you can buy on line. Just make sure that you get the wider beach wheels. I'm a little old lady so I can't load everything on the yak & drag it down to the beach. It's just too much weight for me. I usually have to make 3 trips but I manage. Most of the guys that I dive with just put everything in the boat & off they go.

 

[Bastian76]

I have a tandem (sports authority) kayak and I take two to three tanks out with me. One sits behind me in the storage area. The other two tanks site in the front seat and are bungeed and tied to the kayak (holes in the floor to pass rope through). As tripledive mentioned it's an excellent idea to keep your BC/Tank set up Clipped to the Kayak (I clip mine to the carrying handle). I was coming back in once after the weather turned a little rough and it fell off the back of the kayak and to my discredit I didn't have enough air in the BC. If it hadn't been for the fact that I had the rope I use to drag it around while I'm under the water still attached to the BC, I don't know that I would have found it. (It was in about 25 feet of water still and it had gotten pretty cloudy.) So needless to say that's standard protocal now. I don't own the wheeled kayak carrier yet and I need to do that. I tend to avoid service club park because it a long walk down that board walk and out to the shoreline while carrying that 75lbs kayak on my back. Not to mention the second and third trip for the rest of the gear.

As for changing I pull my tank/BC over up over the side or back of the kayak, losen the strap around the tank make sure my tank is face down (in contact with the Kayak) and take off the Regulator and BC. Keeping the weight of the tank low in the kayak really helps keep me stable while I move it around. If I bring it over the side then it goes right into the front seat and I don't have to move the tank after that at all and the next tank is there and ready at it's side. Lots of great suggestions on here already. I hope this was of some help as well.

 

[fgray1]

I made an outrigger for my Kayak. Works great. I was out yesterday with 3 ft seas and had no problem. I posted pics of it here. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/florida-kayak-divers/252059-setting-up-my-kayak-2.html
Makes getting in and out very easy. I can even put my gear on and roll into the water. When I get out I clip it off and pull it in. I know some think it it's a bit much but it works for me.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Hey, that's really cool that it worked out for you! Is it a real hassle getting that big rig onto your car or down to water's edge and back? Or is the outrigger detachable? Did you paddle or use the motor?

 

[fgray1]

It all breaks down in about 5 min. I take it apart on the beach, there's 6 screws with wingnuts that hold everthing together. I stack the outrigger and the supports on top of the kayak and wheel it up to the car. The kayak and the outrigger go on the roof rack and the rest goes in the car. Nice thing is I can still use the kayak without the outrigger if I so choose.